Transmission



April 5, 1927.

R. CHILTON TRANSMISSION Filed June 29. n192e v :s sheets-sheet 1 R. CHILTON TRANSMISSION April s, 1927.

Filed Juneeg. 192e s sheets-'sheet 2 A WOR/VE! R. CHILTON TRANSMISSION April- 5,1921.

Filed June 29. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 5, .1927.

' UNITED sT-ATS ROLAND CHILTON, oF KEYPORT, NEW JERsEY, Ass1GNo:a To HEALEY-AEROMABDQE BUS COMPANY, lNC., A COItPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

TRANSMISSION. 4

I Application l'd June 29, 1926. Serial No. 119,3'18.;l

Tliis invention comprises a positive-drive mechanism whereby'a driven member may be smoothly accelerated from and driven b'y a rotating power means.

Gbjects ofthe invention are to provide a positive and shockless means for accelerating a driven means for continued rotation with a driving means and to avoidthe loss of powerI characteristic of the use .of slip-l ping clutches for this purpose. urt-herob- 'jects are to provide a transmission mechanism which will automatically accelerate from zero to l-to .1` ratio and then remain at the latter ratio indefinitely. Another object is to? remove' the limitation on the number of turns available from varying con- .tour positive drive mechanism such as the' chain and fusee movements of the prior art.

-These objects are obtained byv disposing .a

driving spiral member. or' fusee co-axially. with a driven drum' and. drlvably connecting the two members by a chain passing over an. idler member adapted for planetary rotation around and with the mem 1 ratio is reached. Flywheel type 4engme starters exemplify the objectives'set forth and-the embodiment of the present inventionin such a mechanism isshown in thedrawings in xwhich Figure 1 is averticallongitudinal section illustrating the present invention. Figure 2 isa" transverse section taken on the line 2'of F ig. 1 lookin in'the direction indicated by the arrow. igure 3 isa sectional view similar to Figure position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3 aslooking in the direction indicated b v-the' arrows. i

ReferringA particularly to Fig.

' ignates the driving member or fusee and 11 i l the driven member respectively mounted on bearingsv12, 13 in the housingll. 'These members are drivably connected by a flexible tension' member such as a. chain 15 passing over an idler 16 supported for free forward planetary motion around the common axisvl but restrained from backward rotation by the ratchet arm 18' (Figs. 3 & 4) engagedwith A teeth 19 in the housing. vThe preferredl form ofsupp'ort for Athe idler comprises circular Y tracks. 20, 21 formed on the periphery ot the driving member loand the driven member 11,on'e track being provided with guide anges'2'2. The idler 1 6 mounted on 'a ers when a 1 to- 2 showing the parts in a movedY spherical hub 23 on the spindle 24,`having y a disc-shaped head 25 and an anti-friction bearlng 26 respectlvely adapted to roll vupon the tracks 20, 21.

- One end .ofthe chain 1 5 'is anchored to the fuses or ldriving member 10 by an eccentric anchor' member 27 while 'the other-end of the chain is pinned to the driveny memi .ber 11. The chain is arranged-to lwrap up on itself around the anchor member 27 and the links are profiled so that successivewraps -of chain will lit the preceding'onesover a spiral path adapted to. give constant acceleration to thedriven member.

1 Difficulties occur in vconforming conventional chain of substantial-pitch to the, path of a spiral near the axis and the 4last link of the chain is accordingly pin jointed at 30 to the anchor member 27, having a cylindrical shank 28 engagedin abearing 29 eccentrically bored, in. driving member l10.

The anchor member is mounted for a limited amount of'swing l(approximately 90) relaytiveto the driving `member at the end of Awhichv swing the key .3l abuts a suitablev shoulder (not shown) in the driving mem# ber with .which theanchor member subsequently rotates'. Theexterior; of 4the anchor member' isgproled for the wrapping of the" .first linksof the chain` thereonin spiral disposition. A. t l

A, retraction spring 32 1-i s frictionally anchored to the housing 14 by the conemember 33 and the spring 34- and is engage-d at 1 35' with4 the driven 'member A11'to'returnv the appzratus to the starting position.

applied to an engin for starting, l

engineA enga ing jaw 36 is' splined tothe engages the shoulder 4except when withdrawn Y by movement ofthe anchor` member to the.-

starting positionshown in Fig. 2. It shouldf be noted that this 'safetylatch does not vcomprise a anchor member-27and the driven jaw 36 but -merely comprises Aa means for preventing wv except when this-latch is meshing of the 3 v swung away from the'shoulder 39. In. the case of `ariinertia starter,ja tl wheel 4:1 may be. slidably mounted.y on t e shaft 42 of a power means such asan elec,-

driving connection .between vthe-l i ynected Fi 2 Shows the chain in the initial posi` tion imposed by the spring 32 wherein the tric motor and co-operates-'with `the clutch member' 42carr ing'the pinion 43 to drive the large annu ar gear 44 of the driving member through the intermediate gears 45. The shaft 49 cooperates with the lever 46'and thrust bearing 47 to controltlie iywheel clutch and this shaft and the jaw shifting shaft 38 are preferably inter-conor simultaneous operation.

chain is fully wound upon the driven drum and-unwrapped from the driving member from which it extends radially withthe eccentric bearing of the anchor member and the pin connecting the chain to that member radiall tion. driving member,

extended from the center oi' rotaor the first quarter of a turn of the it will be seen that the action is that of a crank having a radi-us equal to the eccentricity of the anchor member l .bearing 29, and resulting in the well known harmonic acceleration of the 'crank and connecting rod movement from dead center position. vUpon contact of the key 31 with the driving member, the anchor member 27 commences to rotate, the crank arm now being increased to the radius of thev chain pin 30 in the anchor. member about which pin sides,

the chain swings until the end vlink contacts with the'profileof'the anchor member about which wrapping proceeds, accompanied by the unwrapping of the chain from the driven memberand resulting in the smooth acceleration'thereof, untilthe position of Fig. -3 i is reached.

Referring to Fig. 2 is .willv be seen that the pull in the parts of the chain oneither side i ofthe idler roll'er 16 mu'stlbe equal and that the resulting reaction upon the idler roller f l the osition of Fig. 3 the apparatus has ed the 1 to 1 ratio` condition', i. e., the

f driven drum has been accelerated to unitary :the idler. tend to go beyond the 1 to 1 ratio of'Filgp, e

with the driving' member and the j `ain sides havin equal slope, the result ant force passes t rough the common axis 17 and there is no planetary tendency upon Should the .apparatus however,

the planetary tendency of the idler wi forward, in which direction it is free to rotate with the drive .members and the drive lat `1 to 1 ratio may be accordingly-continued through an indefinite numberof turns' with out movement; between the driving parts.

f Inthe .foregoindescription and the an'- 'nexed claims,1the exible drive member has been described asa chain and it is to be unthat any known equivalent suchas and accordingly 'imposes a backward When thev nea-3,306

a flexible band or cable may be substituted without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Variations may be resorted to withinthe scope ofthe invention and portions of the improvements muy be used without the others, whilst not departing from the spiritl of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

claime- 1. A'planetary drive comprising in' combination, a driving member, a driven mem# ber,va tension member wrapped about both of said members, an idler for said tension member adapted for planetary motion about the axis of said driving and driven members, and means adapted to restrict "theidler to one-way planetary motion.

2. 1n apparatus of the class described, the combination of a driving member, a driven member co-axial therewith, a drive member adapted to be spirally wrapped upon the driving member to accelerate the driven member therefrom, and adrive member idler supported f or forward planetary motion aboutthe driving and driven members.

3. In apparatus of' the-class described the combination of, a driving. member, a drive chain connected to the driving member for' uniform acceleration'therefrom, a drum coaxial with the driving member and drivr.

ably engaged by said chain, and a chain en gaging idler adapted for planetaryvmotion around the common axis.

4. ln apparatus of the class described, the combination ofco-axial driving and driven members, an idler wheel adapted for forward planetary motion about said members and restrained against rearward motion, and a iexible tension -member passed over the idlerA and drivablyl connecting the members. l5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of co-axial driving and driven members, an idler wheel adapted for forward planetary motion and restrained against rearwar motion, and a tension member passed over the idler and drivabl .connecting the members; said tension mem er adapted for wrapping about one of said membe upon a spiral path. 6. In a mechanical movement 'havin vfusee'and a driven drum connected by a exlible tension member, an idler engaged by .the tension member and adapted for forward planetaryl motion with the fusee and the driven drum.

7..The combination of a driving member, I

a drive chain having vone end seeurednear the center of the driving member and adapted to be spirally wrapped thereon at a. progressively increasing radius,a driven memed by the chain, and means `spira] wrapping of the chain.

Lea/3,306

8. The combination of, a driving member, a tension drive member having one end secured near the center' of the driving member and adapted to be spil-ally wrapped thereon at a rogressively increasing radii, a .driven mem er co-axial with the driving vmember and drivably wrapped by the tension drive member, and means toI automatically permit of the unitary rotation of the elements set forth when the tension drive member engages the two members at an equal radii.

9. The combination of, a driving chain. a pair of -eo-axial drive members adapted to be drivably wrapped by the chain at varying radii,and planet means adapted for unitary rotation with the members when th radii become equal.`

10. The combination of, a driving member, a chain driven by the member at increasing radii thereon, a co-axial member driven by the chain, and a chain idler adapted for planetary rotation with thedrive members -when the chain radius upon one has increased to equal the other.

11. A fusee adapted for the smooth acceleration from rest of a drive chain, comprising in combination a`rotary member having an eccentric bearing, an anchor member journalled for limited rotation' in the bearing, and a chain anchor pin disposed in the anchor member eccentrically to said journal.

12. Means for the smooth acceleration from rest of a drive chain, comprising an anchain radius upon the chor member havinga chain anchoring pin. 1

and profiled for the wrapping of the chain .upon aspiral path passing through said pin,

a shank on said anchor member eccentric to said pin, and a rotary driving member having an eccentric bearing engaging said shank for limited rotation.

13. In a fusee mechanism, the combination of a drive chain, a cranked end-link for the chain having a shank, and a drive member having an eccentric bearing in which said shank is engaged; said cranked end-link having a head profiled to form a base for 14. In a fusee mechanism, the combination of a chain, co-axial driving and driven members wrapped by the chain, and a chain end member engaging the driving member and adapted to oscillate past the axis thereof.

15. In apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a flexible tension mem-l ber, an end link for the tension member com' prising a shank, a profiled head about which the tension member may be spirally wrapped, an anchor means for the tension member eccentric to said. shank. land a rotary drive .member eccentrically journalling said shank for the oscillation of said head pastv the cen-v ter of rotation. l

16. A planetary chainl drive, comprising `driven member wrapped by the chain. and

a chain idler lsupported for planetary rotation when thechain wraps on the two members become ol' equal size.

18. In a planetary chain drive, the combination ot' a driving and a driven member, a chain driving connection therebetween. an idler for the chain. means for the planetary ysupport ofsaid idler comprising circular tracks on the driving and driven members, and a planet axle having roll means engag-l ing lsaid tracks.

19.-). planetary chain drive, comprising driving and driven members having roll tracks, a (lain idler adapted to move planetwise on s-.ud tracks and a chain drivably conilcting the members and passing over the 1 er.

20. A chain drive comprising in combination, concentric chain wrapped driving and drlven members, and an eccentrlcally disposed idler adapted to guide the chain.

from one member to the other and also adapted for unitary planetary rotation with the members and the chain.

21. The combination of, a pair of concentric drive members, a flexible tension member, and an idler adapted to guide the tension member for wrapping from one member to the other and also adapted for unitary rotation with the other members set forth.

22. The combination of, a pair of co-axial drive members, an idler mounted for planetary movement, a flexible member drivably w-riippable about said members and looped therebetween over said idler, and means for preventing backward planetary motion. of the idler. v l

23. In apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a drive flexible tension member having an end link, a driving member, an anchor member. a pin-joint between the anchor member and the end link, and an vanchor member journal offset from said pin and eccentrically carried for limited rotation in driving member: the `Whole adapted for an initial disposition with the tension member: the pin and the journal in radial extension from theaxis of the driving member and for a final disposition in spiral -conformation thereabout. l y

Signed at Keyportin the county of Mon-l mouth, and State of New Jersey, this 26th day of J une,-A. D. 1926. ROLAND CHILTON. 

